For 2017, the company’s adjusted earnings of $12.14 per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $12.09 by 0.4%. Earnings were in line with the year-earlier figure.

Total Revenues

Total revenues in the fourth quarter were $2 billion, almost in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.01 billion. The top line rose 3.9% from the year-ago $1.92 billion. The upside was driven by sales growth at the Newport News and Technical Solutions divisions.

Newport News Shipbuilding: Revenues totaled $1,139 million, up 1.8% year over year on higher revenues in naval nuclear support services and aircraft carriers. Operating income declined 23.7% to $106 million.

Ingalls Shipbuilding: Segment revenues were $638 million, down 0.5% year over year on lower revenues from the Legend-class National Security Cutter (NSC) program and surface combatants. Operating income dropped 11.8% to $75 million.

Technical Solutions: Segment revenues were $242 million, up 30.1% year over year primarily, on higher volume in integrated mission solutions services. This, in turn, was led by the acquisition of Camber in the fourth quarter of 2016. Higher volumes in fleet support also boosted revenues at this segment. Operating income was $8 million, up a whopping 700%.

Backlog

The company received new orders worth $8.1 billion in 2017, as a result of which its total backlog reached $21.4 billion as of Dec 31, 2017.

Financial Update

Cash and cash equivalents as of Dec 31, 2017, were $701 million, down from $720 million as of Dec 31, 2016.

Long-term debt, as of Dec 31, 2017, was $1,279 million compared with the 2016-end level of $1,278 million.

Cash from operating activities in 2017 was $814 million, compared with $822 million at 2016-end.

Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.